What I'm reading ...

I felt that it was time for something different. I rarely re-read books, but I felt that a book, that left an impression on me in my late teens, might be interesting to re-visit 40+ years later. So, I have started Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. It seems that this new edition contains more material, which was cut from the original. It will be interesting to see whether I notice.

Here’s the blurb:

Twenty-five years ago, the first manned mission to Mars was lost, and all hands presumed dead. But someone survived...
Born on the doomed spaceship and raised by the Martians who saved his life, Valentine Michael Smith has never seen a human being until the day a second expedition to Mars discovers him.
Upon his return to Earth, a young nurse named Jill Boardman sneaks into Smith's hospital room and shares a glass of water with him, a simple act for her but a sacred ritual on Mars.
Now, connected by an incredible bond, Smith, Jill and a writer named Jubal must fight to protect a right we all take for granted: the right to love.

On the Move: A Life - by Oliver Sacks

I sometimes ponder the idea of my “fantasy dinner party”, where I get to sit at a table with a handful of people, whom I find interesting, but who may be alive or dead. The idea is to assemble the ultimate group, where the conversation would leave a life-long impression. Oliver Sacks is now on my list.

This book was a wonderful insight into a life well lived. On one level, he was a name dropper. The number of well-known scientists and other celebrities, with whom he was close friends, is phenomenal. But also believable. Sacks achieved so much in his life, that it leaves me very humbled. Then, having achieved a lot, he also found time to eloquently write about it. If I write 1000 words in a day, I think that I am doing OK; for Sacks, 10,000 seemed to be a starting point.

I always enjoy reading autobiographies. Sometimes, I do not really like the person, but that does not stop it being interesting. In this case, I know that I would like the author, even though we have somewhat different backgrounds and slight deviations in interests. I find myself very sad in the knowledge that he is no longer with us, but excited by the legacy he left. There are so many more books to read…

What I'm reading ...

I have started On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks. Time for some biography again, I thought. Having read the author’s first memoir, I thought that the second volume would be interesting. Here’s the blurb:

When Oliver Sacks was twelve years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report: 'Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far'. It is now abundantly clear that Sacks has never stopped going. From its opening pages on his youthful obsession with motorcycles and speed, On the Move is infused with his restless energy. As he recounts his experiences as a young neurologist in the early 1960s, first in California and then in New York, where he discovered a long-forgotten illness in the back wards of a chronic hospital, as well as with a group of patients who would define his life, it becomes clear that Sacks's earnest desire for engagement has occasioned unexpected encounters and travels - sending him through bars and alleys, over oceans, and across continents.
With unbridled honesty and humour, Sacks shows us that the same energy that drives his physical passions - bodybuilding, weightlifting, and swimming - also drives his cerebral passions. He writes about his love affairs, both romantic and intellectual, his guilt over leaving his family to come to America, his bond with his schizophrenic brother, and the writers and scientists - Thom Gunn, A. R. Luria, W. H. Auden, Gerald M. Edelman, Francis Crick - who influenced him.
On the Move is the story of a brilliantly unconventional physician and writer - and of the man who has illuminated the many ways that the brain makes us human.

Dissolution - by C J Sansom

I am never quite sure about historical fiction and don’t always enjoy murder mysteries and this book is essentially both of those. However, as the author is a professional historian, I had some confidence about the accuracy of the context and hoped to learn something about the world in the 16th Century. Overall, I enjoyed the read and found the book to be well paced - it kept me turning the pages. I was mostly impressed by the descriptions of the places and felt the characters were quite well drawn. I think it would make a good movie. I think that I might consider reading more of the Shardlake series.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Dissolution by C J Sansom, which is my next book club book. Here’s the blurb:

It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers ever seen. And under the orders of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent throughout the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: dissolution.
But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell's Commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege.
Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell to uncover the truth behind the dark happenings at Scarnsea. But investigation soon forces Shardlake to question everything that he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .

The Last Fighting Tommy: The Life of Harry Patch - by Richard van Emden

This book was, as expected, a very straightforward read. Some text is written by the author, so Harry is mentioned in the third person, and the rest is quoting Harry himself. I found this confusing occasionally, as the viewpoint is not clearly labelled, but this was not a big problem. Overall, my goal in reading the book was met: learned quite a lot. Apart from discussion of both world wars, I found the description of life between the wars etc. very interesting. As I lived in Bath for some years, I was particularly interested in Harry’s account of the bombing there. There were a few, easily-fixable, factual errors in some of Harry’s words. I am unsure whether the author didn't notice, didn’t care or left them in for the sake of authenticity.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Last Fighting Tommy: The Life of Harry Patch by Richard van Emden, my next book club book. Here’s the blurb:

Harry Patch, the last British soldier alive to have fought in the trenches of the First World War, is one of very few people who can directly recall the horror of that conflict.

Harry vividly remembers his childhood in the Somerset countryside of Edwardian England. He left school in 1913 to become an apprentice plumber but three years later was conscripted, serving as a machine gunner in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Fighting in the mud and trenches during the Battle of Passchendaele, he saw a great many of his comrades die, and in one dreadful moment the shell that wounded him kill his three closest friends. In vivid detail he describes daily life in the trenches, the terror of being under intense artillery fire, and the fear of going over the top. Then, after the Armistice, the soldiers' frustration at not being quickly demobbed led to a mutiny in which Harry was soon caught up.

The Second World War saw Harry in action on the home front as a fire-fighter during the bombing of Bath. He also warmly describes his friendship with American GIs preparing to go to France, and, years later, his tears when he saw their graves.

Late in life Harry achieved fame, meeting the Queen and taking part in the BBC documentary The Last Tommies, finally shaking hands with a German veteran of the artillery and speaking out frankly to Prime Minister Tony Blair about the soldiers shot for cowardice in the First World War.

Boneland - by Alan Garner

I went straight on to read this book and read it quickly, as it was my next book club book and I had very little time. Here’s the blurb:

‘A woman was reading a book to a child on her knee.
‘“So the little boy went into the wood, and he met a witch. And the witch said, ‘You come home with me and I’ll give you a good dinner.’ Now you wouldn’t go home with a witch, would you?”
‘Colin stood. “Young man. Do not go into the witch’s house. Do not. And whatever you do, do not go upstairs. You must not go upstairs. Do not go! You are not to go!”’
Professor Colin Whisterfield spends his days at Jodrell Bank, using the radio telescope to look for his lost sister in the Pleiades. At night, he is on Alderley Edge, watching.
At the same time, and in another time, the Watcher cuts the rock and blows bulls on the stone with his blood, and dances, to keep the sky above the earth and the stars flying.
Colin can’t remember; and he remembers too much. Before the age of thirteen is a blank. After that he recalls everything: where he was, what he was doing, in every minute of every hour of every day. Everything he has read and seen.
And then, finally, a new force enters his life, a therapist who might be able to unlock what happened to him when he was twelve, what happened to his sister.
But Colin will have to remember quickly, to find his sister. And the Watcher will have to find the Woman. Otherwise the skies will fall, and there will be only winter, wanderers and moon…

Overall, although I found the book interesting, I really did not understand all the layers of the story. I believe that some ambiguity is intentional. I am slight curious to read the first two books in the trilogy [but I have been warned that they might not elucidate matters much].

Allegiant - by Veronica Roth

This book follows on very well from its two predecessors, with a pace that kept me turning the pages. I was initially curious about the change of viewpoint. The first two books are seen through the eyes of Tris; this book is told partly from her viewpoint and partly from Tobias’ perspective. here were minor logistical reasons for this, but a major one became apparent later in the book. A very strong aspect of this book, in my opinion, is that the dystopian world, that they live in, is mostly explained. It has a history that links it with the present quite satisfactorily. I will investigate other work by this author.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Allegiant by Veronica Roth, not pausing after reading Insurgent. Here’s the blurb:

What if your whole world was a lie?

The thrillingly dark conclusion to the No. 1 New York Times bestselling DIVERGENT trilogy.

What if a single revelation – like a single choice – changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered – fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature – and of herself – while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Insurgent - by Veronica Roth

When I read Divergent - long before I got to the end - I knew that I would end up reading the rest of the trilogy. So, after a quick re-read of a book book for my book club, I was on to this one. Here’s the blurb:

Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.
The Thrillingly Dark Sequel To No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, Divergent.
I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

The pace set in the first book is maintained and I was swept along, reading the 500+ pages in what was, for me, very good time. By then end, my curiosity about how the city came to be as it was and what was outside was thoroughly piqued.

Divergent - by Veronica Roth

A really enjoyable read. I was sucked in to the story and found the chapter lengths were just right to have satisfying bursts of reading. The pace of the story is well tuned and the surge of drama towards the end moved me from “maybe read books 2 and 3” to downloading them ready to read. I liked the fact that the story was set in the near future - I guess - but there was very little reference to new technology. I enjoyed recognising the city as being Chicago, even though that isn’t mentioned. I finished wishing that I knew the back story - how had society reached this point?

What I'm reading ...

I have started Divergent by Veronica Roth. I wanted to read some fiction that was a bit different and this book, which has been recommended to me by several people, seemed to fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions – Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. Every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice Prior, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is. Her choice shocks everyone, including herself.

During the initiation that follows, Tris and her fellow initiates undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them, Tris must determine who her friends really are – and whether she can trust the man who both threatens and protects her.

Because Tris has a deadly secret. And as growing conflict threatens to unravel their seemingly perfect society, this secret might save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics - by Tim Marshall

This book was a remarkably straightforward read, considering it is potentially a very dry subject. The author has a very easy style and the text is jammed with interesting facts and details, with the odd bit of humour for good measure. I learned a great deal and felt that the book delivered exactly what it said it would.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall. It was time for some non-fiction and this was highly recommended by a friend, who said that it had given him a much better understanding of current politics and recent conflicts. Here’s the blurb:

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture.

If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the USA was destined to become a global superpower, or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here.

In ten chapters (covering Russia; China; the USA; Latin America; the Middle East; Africa; India and Pakistan; Europe; Japan and Korea; and the Arctic), using maps, essays and occasionally the personal experiences of the widely travelled author, Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present and future to offer an essential insight into one of the major factors that determines world history.

It's time to put the 'geo' back into geopolitics.

The Pillars of the Earth - by Ken Follett

When I started on this book, both the size and the subject - historical fiction - seemed daunting. Fortunately, I had some good reading time ahead of me - long flights and a holiday - so I got stuck in. After 200 pages or so, I was thoroughly hooked. It still took me quite a while to finish, but I enjoyed the journey.

My concern about the size was that the author would be verbose. In fact, his writing style is quite economic and he has a very straightforward way with words. He used all the space to go off on occasional tangents, which always added to, instead of distracting from, the story. The story is complex, over quite a long period, with many characters, but I never felt lost.

I always hope that, when I read a novel, apart from being entertained [which I was], I will learn something. Although I have yet to do any fact checking, I did have the impression that I learned much about everyday life in 12th Century England and the historical context.

I will be tempted to read the sequel at some point - it has a similar page count. I discovered that a 3rd volume will be available later in the year.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, my next book club selection. I am daunted by the size of the book - over 1100 pages - but I am assured that it is not a tough read. Here's the blurb:

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood - by Oliver Sacks

This was an excellent example of a book that can be judged by the cover. A good mix of autobiography, where the author talks about life in a Jewish family in London in the 1940s, and science, where, even though I feel that I am quite well informed, I learned lots of interesting details. Overall, an excellent read. I look forward to getting the next volume of his autobiography, which, sadly, appears to be as far as he got before his death.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks. It was time for some non-fiction and this was recommended by a friend with similar interests to myself. A combination of autobiography and science sounds right up my street. Here’s the blurb:

In Uncle Tungsten Sacks evokes, with warmth and wit, his upbringing in wartime England. He tells of the large science-steeped family who fostered his early fascination with chemistry. There follow his years at boarding school where, though unhappy, he developed the intellectual curiosity that would shape his later life. And we hear of his return to London, an emotionally bereft ten-year-old who found solace in his passion for learning. Uncle Tungsten radiates all the delight and wonder of a boy’s adventures, and is an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young mind.

Midwinter of the Spirit - by Phil Rickman

This is, for me, a really good example of a book club book. It is something that I would never normally be attracted to, but I found that I enjoyed reading it. From looking at the blurb, I would have assumed that some knowledge, belief and interest in the supernatural would be necessary to enjoy the book. This is not the case. The book is about a complex web of human relationships and illustrates the darker side of human behaviour. Many of the characters believe in the supernatural phenomena, but the book itself does not take a stand; the reader is free to decide.

I found the writing style a little clumsy. Often too many words are used and we are given more silly details than we need. But I still found it a straightforward read and the story maintained my interest. I am always wary of authors trying to write a main character of the opposite gender. This book is written from a number of viewpoints, but Merrily is the prime protagonist. To me, she sounded somewhat like a man’s idea of how a woman might think and act. I also thought that calling her daughter “Flower” did not sound natural; rather East London IMHO.

I liked the reasonably local setting for the book, even though they are not places that I am very familiar with. I observe that this is the second in a series of books; the 15th is published shortly. I do not think I missed anything vital by not reading #1. I am not sure that I will be rushing to devour the rest of the series, but, then again, I might.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rickman. This is our next book club book, which is a particular favourite of one of the members and not a book that I would otherwise have picked up. here’s the blurb:

Diocesan Exorcist: a job viewed by the Church of England with such extreme suspicion that they changed the name.

It's Deliverance Consultant now. Still, it seems, no job for a woman. But when the Bishop offers it to Merrily Watkins, parish priest and single mum, she's in no position to refuse.

It starts badly for Merrily and gets no easier. As an early winter slices through the old city of Hereford, a body is found in the River Wye, an ancient church is desecrated and signs of evil appear in the cathedral itself, where the tomb of a medieval saint lies in pieces.

A God in Ruins - by Kate Atkinson

As usual, this author delivered a very good read. It took a little while to gather momentum, but I was sucked in. As is commonly the case with her work, the timelines are all over the place, but I was never lost. The accounts of events during and around WW2 bombing raids were particularly interesting. the author’s attention to detail brought them alive for me. The ending, which I won’t “spoil” here was really unusual. I will continue to look out for more books by Kate Atkinson.

What I'm reading ...

I have started A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. Another favourite author, I have been monitoring the price of the Kindle edition of this book and it recently came down to what I thought was an acceptable price [probably because of paperback publication]. As I have a bit of time until my next book club meeting, I thought I’d treat myself. Here’s the blurb:

A God in Ruins relates the life of Teddy Todd – would-be poet, heroic World War II bomber pilot, husband, father, and grandfather – as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have.
This gripping, often deliriously funny yet emotionally devastating book looks at war – that great fall of Man from grace – and the effect it has, not only on those who live through it, but on the lives of the subsequent generations. It is also about the infinite magic of fiction.Those who loved the bestselling Life After Life will recognise Teddy as Ursula Todd’s adored younger brother – but for those who have not read it, A God in Ruins stands fully on its own.

Slaughterhouse-Five - by Kurt Vonnegut

This book was quite a surprise. I had always had the impression that the author was “just” a sci fi writer and, whilst that would not mean that I would never read his work, this is a genre that I only dip into from time to time. However, although aspects of this book might be labelled as sci fi, the story as a whole is very down to earth.

I found it s straightforward read and was never confused by wandering in time. So many books nowadays have multiple timelines, that this feels quite normal. I guess it was ahead of its time, as it was written 60+ years ago. I am still not quite sure what to make of Billy Pilgrim, even though his character is examined quite broadly in the book. The story as a whole was thought provoking, looking at “man’s inhumanity to man” type issues and the wider meaning of life (and death) etc. As the author would say, so it goes.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The author of the last book I read was clearly a Vonnegut fan and the main characters in the book seemed rather obsessed with his books. So I thought that I would give this one a try. Here’s the blurb:

Adapted for a magnificent George Roy Hill film three years later (perhaps the only film adaptation of a masterpiece which exceeds its source), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) is the now famous parable of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and POW, who has in the later stage of his life become "unstuck in time" and who experiences at will (or unwillingly) all known events of his chronology out of order and sometimes simultaneously.
Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralmafadorians who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).
The "unstuck" nature of Pilgrim's experience may constitute an early novelistic use of what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; then again, Pilgrim's aliens may be as "real" as Dresden is real to him. Struggling to find some purpose, order or meaning to his existence and humanity's, Pilgrim meets the beauteous and mysterious Montana Wildhack (certainly the author's best character name), has a child with her and drifts on some supernal plane, finally, in which Kilgore Trout, the Tralmafadorians, Montana Wildhack and the ruins of Dresden do not merge but rather disperse through all planes of existence.

The Universe versus Alex Woods - by Gavin Extence

I did not know what to expect from this book. The initial precepts are unlikely, but far from impossible. The style of writing engaged me straight away. The book starts nearly at the end of the story and then Alex fills us in on the events that led to the conclusion. He is very likable, I felt, as he is so honest and well meaning, if often rather naive.

I found the book a thoroughly enjoyable read. I was entertained, amused, moved and educated - what more can one ask from a book? I progressed through the book at a good pace and reached that interesting ambivalence towards the end: I did not want the book to end, but I did want to know the conclusion of the story.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence, my next book club book. I have heard positive comments about the book from many quarters, so I am looking forward to the read. Here’s the blurb:

Alex Woods knows that he hasn't had the most conventional start in life.
He knows that growing up with a clairvoyant single mother won't endear him to the local bullies.
He also knows that even the most improbable events can happen - he's got the scars to prove it.
What he doesn't know yet is that when he meets ill-tempered, reclusive widower Mr Peterson, he'll make an unlikely friend. Someone who tells him that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make the best possible choices.
So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at Dover customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the passenger seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing.

So Much for That - by Lionel Shriver

My faith in Lionel Shriver keeping me turning the pages is intact. This book is, at times, an uncomfortable read, but that is intentional. I was aware that the healthcare system in the US is rather inhumane, but I was unaware of quite how bad it is. Describing it as “survival of the fittest” would not be unreasonable. That is OK - if you are fit. If I bring one thing away from the book, it is gratitude for living in a civilized country - i.e. one with a social healthcare system that actually works [imperfect sometimes, but amazing at others].

The story in the book is quite complex with a rich selection of characters. It is not told from a single viewpoint, though it is largely from Shep and Jackson’s perspectives. There are some nice twists, which kept me interested all the way to the end.

What I'm reading ...

I have started reading So Much for That by Lionel Shriver. I needed some solid holiday reading, so turned to a firm favourite. Here’s the blurb:

What do you pack for the rest of your life?
Shepherd Knacker is bored with his humdrum existence. He's sold his successful handy-man business for a million dollars and is now ready to embark on his 'Afterlife' - a one way ticket to a small island off the coast of Africa. He tries to convince his wife Glynis to come with him, but she laughs off the idea as preposterous. There's no way she'll let Shepherd uproot the family to some far-flung African island.
When Glynis is diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer, Shepherd's dreams of an exotic adventure are firmly put on hold. He devotes himself to caring for his sick wife, watching her fade before his eyes.
Shepherd's best friend Jackson knows all too well about illness. His sixteen year old daughter has spent her life dosed up on every treatment going while he and his wife Carol feed their youngest daughter sugar pills so she won't feel left out. But then Jackson undergoes a medical procedure of his own which has devastating consequences …
So Much For That is a deeply affecting novel, told with Lionel Shriver's trademark originality, intelligence and acute perception of the human condition.

The Shack - by William P. Young

I am really not sure what to make of this book. The quality of writing was, I felt, excellent. The characters were quite well drawn and the description of places and event quite vivid. However, ultimately I do not know what it was about. My interpretation is that Mack headed for the shack, had the serious road accident and his brain invented a set of false memories, synthesised from his sketchy religious beliefs and emotional turmoil. In the end, this is not such a bad thing, as it made him a better person.

I think that the book is simply a vehicle for the author to describe and publicise about their person perspective on God, the meaning of life, etc. It made for an OK, and sometimes entertaining, read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Shack by William P. Young, my next book club book. Here’s the blurb:

Mack's youngest daughter, Missy, was abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, still trapped in his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack. Against his better judgement Mack arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon. What he finds there will change his life forever.
The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, 'Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?' Mack's experiences when he faces up to his darkest nightmares will astound you, and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

Big Brother - by Lionel Shriver

The topic and initial premise of this book sounded interesting and I was confident that the author would do it justice. My interest in the book was piqued when I learned that the subject was very much a reflection of the author’s life. It is not autobiographical - she wrote it partly to help her process her own experiences.

All the themes around eating disorders, body image issues and prejudices are addressed in a typical no-holes-barred way. The story has a great pace and, although it is covering serious issues, manages to have its humorous moments. I was interested to know how the author would manage to tell a story of what might have been - with a different outcome than that in her own life - without it being an obvious “if only real life had turned out this way” story. Re-writes of history rarely succeed. This book, however, handles this matter very well and is wrapped up in good Shriver style with a great twist.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Big Brother by Lionel Shriver. With a couple of trips coming up, I wanted some “holiday reading” - not something light, but a book that I can get lost in. Shriver has become one of my favourite authors, so I was delighted to find that I had two of her books on hand, unread, and chose this one. Here's the blurb:

When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at her local Iowa airport, she literally doesn’t recognize him. The once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened?
Soon Edison’s slovenly habits, appalling diet, and know-it-all monologues are driving Pandora and her fitness-freak husband Fletcher insane. After the brother-in-law has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: it’s him or me.

Night Train To Lisbon - by Pascal Mercier

While reading this book, a couple of people asked me what it was about and I was unable to answer. I figured that, by the time I finished it, I would know the answer. But I was wrong. On one level, it is all about Gregorius and his sudden change of lifestyle. On another, it is about Prado - or Gregorius piecing his story together. Or perhaps it is just a study on life, the Universe and everything. I remain uncertain.

This does not mean that I did not enjoy the book - I did on many levels. The description of the places and Gregorius’ impressions of them was often quite beautiful. I loved the vast array of characters and their nuances and foibles. The quality of writing is excellent. Overall, I did not really feel that I got to know Gregorius and I have no understanding of why he suddenly dropped everything. As far as I could see, this was totally out of character - not a natural development. In summary, can see through his eye, but not get into his head.

Like so many books, I thought that the ending was rushed and disappointing. Gregorius’ dizziness was reported time and time again, along with his worries about it [with the obvious reference to Prado’s illness], but we never learned what his diagnosis was. That was left hanging. I wanted to know.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Night Train To Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, which is my next book club selection and a firm favourite of a couple of members. Here is the blurb:

Night Train to Lisbon follows Raimund Gregorius, a 57-year-old Classics scholar, on a journey that takes him across Europe. Abandoning his job and his life and travelling with a dusty old book as his talisman, he heads for Lisbon in search of clues to the life of the book's Portuguese author, Amadeu de Prado. As he gets swept up in his quest, he finds that the journey is also one of self-discovery, as he re-encounters all the decisions he has made - and not made - in his life, and faces the roads not travelled.

First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill - by Sonia Purnell

To be honest, before picking this book up, I might well have failed the quiz question “Who was Winston Churchill’s wife?” However, I am now better educated. The author has a very no nonsense writing style, which kept me turning the pages. The numerous references gave me reason to be confident in her research and integrity as a historian.

As much as anything, I found the book to be a great lesson on 20th Century history. There is much about the last 100 years of so that I did not understand, but some gaps have now been filled. For example, since the Germans were dead scared of the Russians [communists], we were clearly allies with them in WW2. So, how come the Cold War happened? I now have some understanding of the politics.

Obviously, the book told me much about Winston and the rest of the family that I did not previously appreciate. By the end of the book, although I learned lots about Clementine’s life and appreciate how important she was and how unrecognized she has been, I am not really sure that I understand her as a person. She very much subjugated her own character by devoting herself to Winston; maybe the real Clementine was just not very visible.

What I'm reading ...

I have started First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill by Sonia Purnell, which is my next book club book. I had been recommended it, so I proposed it to my club. Here’s the blurb:

Without Churchill’s inspiring leadership Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been ‘impossible without her’.
Clementine was Winston’s emotional rock and his most trusted confidante; not only was she involved in some of the most crucial decisions of war, but she exerted an influence over her husband and the Government that would appear scandalous to modern eyes. Yet her ability to charm Britain’s allies and her humanitarian efforts on the Home Front earned her deep respect, both behind closed doors in Whitehall and among the population at large.
That Clementine should become Britain’s ‘First Lady’ was by no means pre-ordained. Born into impecunious aristocracy, her childhood was far from gilded. Her mother was a serial adulteress and gambler, who spent many years uprooting her children to escape the clutches of their erstwhile father, and by the time Clementine entered polite society she had become the target of cruel snobbery and rumours about her parentage.
In Winston, however, she discovered a partner as emotionally insecure as herself, and in his career she found her mission. Her dedication to his cause may have had tragic consequences for their children, but theirs was a marriage that changed the course of history.
Now, acclaimed biographer Sonia Purnell explores the peculiar dynamics of this fascinating union. From the personal and political upheavals of the Great War, through the Churchills’ ‘wilderness years’ in the 1930s, to Clementine’s desperate efforts to preserve her husband’s health during the struggle against Hitler, Sonia presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history.

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies - by Nick Bostrom

I was a little disappointed with this book. It covers the subject in a lot of detail and is written in a very academic style. So I found it quite hard work to finish. I did, however, and learned quite a lot about the subject of artificial intelligence and the topics around it. I found all the thought that had gone into the philosophy, rather than the practical implementation interesting. How would it be if we created a machine smarted that we are? Would it be safe or even desirable? Ultimately though, I wish the author would write a [say] 100 page executive summary of the subject, which would make it much more accessible to non-specialists, like myself, who might not wish to devote the time to a bigger book and do not need to fine detail.

In considering the possible future of the world, the author reflected upon history. I thought that the following words were particularly apposite in the light of recent events: “ … that international relations around the globe might come to resemble those between the countries of the European Union, which, having fought one another ferociously for centuries, now coexist in peace and relative harmony."

What I'm reading ...

I have started Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom. Bill Gates said everyone should read this book. Elon Musk was so impressed that he made a huge investment in the author’s research. Who am I to argue? Here’s the blurb:

The human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. It is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. Other animals have stronger muscles or sharper claws, but we have cleverer brains.
If machine brains one day come to surpass human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become very powerful. As the fate of the gorillas now depends more on us humans than on the gorillas themselves, so the fate of our species then would come to depend on the actions of the machine superintelligence.
But we have one advantage: we get to make the first move. Will it be possible to construct a seed AI or otherwise to engineer initial conditions so as to make an intelligence explosion survivable? How could one achieve a controlled detonation?
To get closer to an answer to this question, we must make our way through a fascinating landscape of topics and considerations. Read the book and learn about oracles, genies, singletons; about boxing methods, tripwires, and mind crime; about humanity's cosmic endowment and differential technological development; indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation and technology couplings; Malthusian economics and dystopian evolution; artificial intelligence, and biological
cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence.
This profoundly ambitious and original book picks its way carefully through a vast tract of forbiddingly difficult intellectual terrain. Yet the writing is so lucid that it somehow makes it all seem easy. After an utterly engrossing journey that takes us to the frontiers of thinking about the human condition and the future of intelligent life, we find in Nick Bostrom's work nothing less than a reconceptualization of the essential task of our time.

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 - by Lionel Shriver

When I read a novel, I always hope that I will learn something as well as be entertained. In this respect, the book delivered. I have a new perspective and understanding of how economies work. I have sufficient respect for the author’s integrity that I am confident in my new knowledge.

The book is very well written. Although it is set in the future, it is not science fiction, as I would understand it. The technology, like the language, is a modest extrapolation of the current world and I felt that it was very credible. The story takes place over quite a few years, but is told in detail for the beginning period and a later one. The book also has a reasonable ending, which pleased me as I dislike books that just sort of fade out. The story is serious and credible and rather chilling as a result, but there is the odd touch of humour that I enjoyed.

Once again, Shriver has persuaded me that reading more of her work will be a worthwhile way to spend time.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver. I was very impressed when I last read a book by this author that, when I saw the publication of this new book, I decided to treat myself to it as a holiday read, despite the higher cost of a new book. As my holiday starts in a couple of days, I look forward to some good reading time. Here’s the blurb:

It is 2029.
The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their 97-year-old patriarch dies. Yet America’s soaring national debt has grown so enormous that it can never be repaid. Under siege from an upstart international currency, the dollar is in meltdown. A bloodless world war will wipe out the savings of millions of American families.
Their inheritance turned to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also — as the effects of the downturn start to hit — the challenge of sheer survival.
Recently affluent Avery is petulant that she can’t buy olive oil, while her sister Florence is forced to absorb strays into her increasingly cramped household. As their father Carter fumes at having to care for his demented stepmother now that a nursing home is too expensive, his sister Nollie, an expat author, returns from abroad at 73 to a country that’s unrecognizable.
Perhaps only Florence’s oddball teenage son Willing, an economics autodidact, can save this formerly august American family from the streets.
This is not science fiction. This is a frightening, fascinating, scabrously funny glimpse into the decline that may await the United States all too soon, from the pen of perhaps the most consistently perceptive and topical author of our times.

Mothering Sunday - by Graham Swift

This was a short book and I read it even faster than I had expected. On the one hand, it is the story of Jane’s life - she lived through almost all of the 20th century. But it is focussed on the events of a single day in 1924. On a certain level it might be said that not a lot happened, but the description of what did happen is used as a vehicle to consider the wider aspects of her life. I have heard the book described as erotic, but I think that term would set the wrong expectations; intimate would be a better description. Overall, it is well written and an enjoyable read.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift. I have a few days before I start my holiday and I wanted something short to fill in the time before I can make a start on my holiday reading. This book was recommended and is short enough to fit the bill. Here’s the blurb:

How will Jane Fairchild, orphan and housemaid, occupy her time when she has no mother to visit? How, shaped by the events of this never to be forgotten day, will her future unfold?
Beginning with an intimate assignation and opening to embrace decades, Mothering Sunday has at its heart both the story of a life and the life that stories can magically contain. Constantly surprising, joyously sensual and deeply moving, it is Graham Swift at his thrilling best.

The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking - by Simon Singh

This book was an excellent read. It is written at a very good level. There is plenty of detail, but it is presented so that the general reader does not get bogged down in it, but someone after the nitty gritty will still be satisfied. His descriptions are very lucid, using some very effective analogies. I learned numerous historical details, many of which are interesting well beyond the field of cryptography. For example, the US used members of the Navaho tribe to perform military communications in their somewhat intractable language during WW2.

My only disappointment is that the book is slightly out of date, as it was published in 1999. It would be really interesting to see a similar discussion of the events of the last few years, like the whistle-blowing on the NSA’s behaviour and particularly the very recent controversies about iPhone unlocking. However, there is coverage of the potential role of quantum computers and the like, which is explained very clearly.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking by Simon Singh. It was time for non-fiction and this was recommended. Here's the blurb:

Since humans began writing, they have been communicating in code. This obsession with secrecy has had dramatic effects on the outcome of wars, monarchies and individual lives.

With clear mathematical, linguistic and technological demonstrations of many of the codes, as well as illustrations of some of the remarkable personalities behind them – many courageous, some villainous – The Code Book traces the fascinating development of codes and code-breaking from military espionage in Ancient Greece to modern computer ciphers, to reveal how the remarkable science of cryptography has often changed the course of history.

Amongst many extraordinary examples, Simon Singh relates in detail the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code and put to death by Elizabeth I; the strange history of the Beale Ciphers, describing the hidden location of a fortune in gold, buried somewhere in Virginia in the nineteenth century and still not found; and the monumental efforts in code-making and code-breaking that influenced the outcomes of the First and Second World Wars.

Now, with the Information Age bringing the possibility of a truly unbreakable code ever nearer, and cryptography one of the major debates of our times, Singh investigates the challenge that technology has brought to personal privacy today.

Dramatic, compelling and remarkably far-reaching, The Code Book will forever alter your view of history, what drives it and how private your last e-mail really was.

Elizabeth is Missing - by Emma Healey

Being written in the first person, I really felt that this book gave me some insight into how it must feel to be suffering dementia. I was particularly impressed by the way that her confusion was conveyed with the rather chaotic text - interleaving the two timelines - but I never got lost.

Overall, I felt the book was beautifully written, with the story well paced. Because of the viewpoint, I am not sure I could say the characters in the contemporaneous timeline are well drawn, but a good impression of them is there. Those in the post-war period were, to me, very clear.

Being rather picky, I was disconcerted by this text: "And that does put another spin on things. Him being wanted.", which occurs in the post-war period. The word "spin" was not used in this sense until the 1970s.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, which was recommended by a friend and is my next book club choice. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Maud.
Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn't remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable - or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.
But there's one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to shut up, Maud will get to the bottom of it.
Because somewhere in Maud's damaged mind lies the answer to an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery. One everyone has forgotten about.
Everyone, except Maud . . .

Nora Webster - by Colm Tóibín

This book was a straightforward, comfortable read. I have read some of the author’s other work, which I found a little gloomy, but this one was more uplifting. Essentially it is an account of the lives of Nora and her family over a few years following her husband’s death. What it is really about is her process of coming to terms with her loss and embracing her new life. The story has no big surprises, no major U-turns and no real drama - it is much like real life.
Initially I was dissatisfied with the ending, but I quickly realized that the message was “life goes on”. It may be a different life. It may be a better life. But it goes on whatever.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín. This is my next book club selection. I have read some of this author’s work before and found it somewhat gloomy. He seems to have become more well known lately, after the release of the film of his book Brooklyn. Here’s the blurb:

It is the late 1960s in Ireland. Nora Webster is living in a small town, looking after her four children, trying to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. She is fiercely intelligent, at times difficult and impatient, at times kind, but she is trapped by her circumstances, and waiting for any chance which will lift her beyond them.
Slowly, through the gift of music and the power of friendship, she finds a glimmer of hope and a way of starting again. As the dynamic of the family changes, she seems both fiercely self-possessed but also a figure of great moral ambiguity, making her one of the most memorable heroines in contemporary fiction.
The portrait that is painted in the years that follow is harrowing, piercingly insightful, always tender and deeply true. Colm Tóibín's Nora is a character as resonant as Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary and Nora Webster is a novel that illuminates our own lives in a way that is rare in literature. Its humanity and compassion forge an unforgettable reading experience.

The Post-Birthday World - by Lionel Shriver

Bottom line: this was among the best books that I have read in a while. The story is not overly complex, but very well crafted. The structure of the book was intriguing. At the end of the first chapter Irina has to make a decision, which can go two different ways. Each subsequent chapter describes the events in two different universes in which each possible decision was enacted. It sounds confusing, but [for me, anyway] is actually quite straightforward to follow. I was fascinated to find out how the two threads might be brought together at the end of the book. The answer is: brilliantly.

The characters in the book are well drawn and the overall quality of the writing is excellent. The author thoroughly succeeds in her intention to make the readers think about the consequences of decisions in their lives. I will certainly be returning to this author’s work and I am rather tempted to pre-order her next book, which will be published in a few days.